


Hero's and Dragons 7

by Tak



Series: Hero's and Dragons [7]
Category: Skyrim
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 07:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2499407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tak/pseuds/Tak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I thought I'd release this part early. Still working on the end. But a combination of a lot of work, and a writers block has slowed down the ending. <br/>Any way:</p><p>A coronation, romance and disaster. <br/>Racial tensions lead persecutions. <br/>The girls are in for more than they bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hero's and Dragons 7

Bustling cooks, groundsman, and housekeepers instigating the perpetration a for the party. The ball before the coronation, to welcome guests from all walks of life.  
The steward and his clique of advisors giving up that the new princes might oust their elven friends from their life sent each girl a team of women to prepare them for the coming ball.  
Leith found it hilarious as they tried to find a dress to fit her tiny stature and masculine tastes, while also trying to enhance the gold of her colouring with out putting her in more Gold.  
They primed and pampered and she laughed.  
Atty looked on the whole experience with the terror of a caged animal.  
"Why can't we get the little one." A nord woman hissed "She's cutest least."  
"It's the tattoos I'm worried about." The other muttered.  
"What does it matter, I bet she's never worn a skirt in her life. She'll look like a bear in a dress."  
Crestfallen Atty looked down at her arms, as she waited for the only seemingly kind woman to finish filling her bath.  
The lines that covered her body were badges of honour, testimony to the trials she weathered.  
The red guard woman smiled up to her reassuringly. "You may get in now it's finished."  
Touching her chin Atty thanked the woman and stepped in to the warm soothing waters. The two other woman bustled into the room, the older of the two running her hands through Attys hair.  
"Agh Wildings locks. I suppose we have time to cut and brush them out."  
Atty pulled away, shaking her head violently.  
"I don't think she likes that idea" the red guard woman protested.  
"She doesn't have to. It's what's happening."  
The old woman made a step for the scissors, Atty was faster snatching them and brandishing them like a weapon in wet hands. She pointed to the two horrid woman then to the door.  
"Well I never..."   
This time Atty pointed with the scissors, a far more defined and threatening gesture.  
The women muttering under their breath protested quietly and left the elf.  
"You wish me to leave as well?" The red guard woman asked.  
Atty shook her head returning to the water. Using the scissors to cut the ties that held her hair back in the two tails.  
Putting her "Wildingslocks" into the waterr to clean them.  
She pointed to the woman and signed.  
"Me?" The woman asked shocked "my name?"  
Atty nodded.  
"Moraine." She said. Atty offered a hand to shake, there were one or two kind people in the palace and she made sure to know them by name.  
While she bathed and fixed her hair into a more elegant number Moraine found a dress. Black long and simple. A square neck fixed at the shoulders, dagger sleeves that allowed glimpses of her body of tattoos. It was bigger than she was, fitted to a nord woman of her height but healthier frame, not the lanky limbs of a wandering hunter. Moraine bade her to raise her arms and she tied a long belt of green twice around her waist to give her shape.  
"Look at you." She mused. "You can't be hunting in that get up though." She laughed "well lest your hunting a husband."  
Atty smiled and looked at her self in the looking glass. It was a clearer reflection than what lakes showed her or the backs of spoons. She stood in front of her self. A more striking image than she realised. Powerful and dark. She hazard the word beautiful before her face. Laughing to herself no, enigmatic.   
"You look as though you've never seen your self."   
Shrugging Atty ran a hand over her face, she hadn't really, not like that. Not clean, and fed.   
The mothers voiced whispered. She felt the words crawl up her spine. She had ignored her duties to long.  
"My child" she hissed "there is a man who favours the exotic flesh of skyrim. His wife has grown sick of his indiscretion and bastard children."   
Atty turned from the mirror plans mulling over in her head. How to sneak away from the coronation ball. How to sneak through empty streets as the population had folded the palace, and entice the mark into letting her get close enough to kill him.

"Well fancy" Leith's exclamation echoed passed the clamour of the busy hall.   
"Look at you"  
Arty signed at her friend while she straightened her dress noticing the wood elf had gotten away with a smart pair of breaches and a tunic.  
Leith giggled gently "Atty you a the far from being a bear in a dress."   
Atty grinned, as Leith offered her arm. The young man at the door leaned over to leith and asked in a hushed tone "how shall I announce you?"  
"The same way as always."

"The hunter and the thief." The titles cut the noise of the party pretentious and prestigious eyes alike left their conversations to see what would call them selves hunter and thief. Leith stood golden and grinning next to Atty's shoulder, waving to her "adoring public" while Atty had put on heirs of royalty standing in a dress made out of midnight. Staring down any one who thought they could be better than the pair.   
Vilkas laughed. Not at the girls but at the reaction to them. He chuckled while his brother stood besotted next to him and conversation returned to normal.   
As custom the girls joined the line to meet the princes give gifts and praise. Atty was first. Meeting Vilkas, un-ceremoniously she reached under her dress to a hidden belt and unhooked a short blade.  
It was gilded for her, simple for a king, a single red gem in its scabbard alerted Vilkas to the significance of the blade. She tucked it close to his body, under his vest, keeping a sharp look out for anyone spying what was going on. She put her hands on his shoulders either side an looked at him before finally nodding and moving to Farkas.   
"That's from Atty and Leith. " she quipped taking Atty's place.   
"You steal it, she makes sure it's poisoned an sharpened?"  
"Something like that" she paused before adding "it means your family now"   
Farkas and Atty regarded each other while the other two talked. He seemed to take a breath to begin a thousand sentences but never started one.   
She pointed to him and stroked her cheek. Complementing his appearance in his regalia, family colours of Gold and brown much more charming than the blacks she had come to know him to ware.  
"Your amazing." He stammered quickly.   
Atty blushed and he ran his hands through his hair nervously. "I'm terrible at this part, can we go back to running round the fields?"   
She nodded quickly as lutes strummed a more lively tune joined by the sweet twitterings of flutes.  
She caught his hand as it lowered and pulled him from the line. Neither good at words, but movement had never let them down before.  
subtly Vilkas signalled for Leith to take his brothers place  
"You should get use to standing beside the king." He whispered as the line of important locals began to move  
"What as advisor?"   
"Or queen."  
She would have fallen over laughing had the next dignitary not arrived on the scene. Vilkas winked at her and she blushed. She blushed in a way that she would have teased Atty for, as the tips of her ears became hot and the feeling spread to her cheeks.

Atty slipped into the dance seamlessly, Leading Farkas while dancing backwards until he figured out the pattern and soon they were spinning and twirling as if they had danced the dance as children.  
Body Occupied, Farkas Brain freed up.  
"I've never seen you in a dress. It's a beautiful sight." He leaned forward "though I preferred what we were wearing the other day."   
She smiled this time coyly. As the song stopped and the dancers retired.   
Gilding from the ball room she led Farkas like the doting lamb he was to the courtyard. They stood together hidden from prying eyes by the large tree, whose heavy bows rested weakly on the ground. Hints of light from inside illuminated the cobblestones with a yellow hue. But it was starlight that guided the pair.   
Farkas touched her cheek, she cupped his hand and closed her eyes leaning into him.   
He sighed, Atty knew that sigh. Words were on his tongue, sentences that he didn't think he had the vocabulary to say. She opened her eyes and put his hand on her waist then made the other one join it. She linked her hands behind his head and tried to coax him on with a nod.  
"It's like tales, the ones about the legend's, but I don't know what to say." He laughed "I guess that doesn't make me the hero. The hero's in story's always know what to say."  
Atty smiled, she figured that didn't make her the hero either. A hero had a voice.  
It was her turn to couch him, her fingers brushing his cheek coaxing him forward.  
With out words or voice they leant towards each other. Eyes closing as lips met for the first time.   
Sweet and pleasant they stopped almost as soon as they started. A quick silent check that all parties were in agreement and they moved together to try it a second time.   
This time the feeling was more adult, the tone less sweet more filled with desire. Her hands in his hair, his on her waist and back pulling towards each other. A window groaned and they thought they had been caught. Jumping away like guilty thieves with a delicious prize. Snatching his hand she pulled him to a darker patch of the garden a mischievous grin on her face. A lusty flush to her cheek. Farkas followed hands in her waist, a fair idea if the nature of the trouble she wanted to cause. 

Quietly seeing the scene from Vilkas' side Leith noticed the two had been Gone almost an hour. No one had noticed.   
She had expected Attys disappearance to go unfettered but the brother of the king? The steward almost seemed gleeful that they had lost one heir. Any other party guests were more interested in the food.   
She ventured out side into the cooling air away from the lights. Following their last trails. Atty slipped from the shadows first. Hair still immaculate dress flawless she turned bak to who ever was still back there and with a final lingering kiss began to leave.   
A hand caught hers And Farkas followed it his shirt buttoned up wrong his hair lose ruffled. If Leith hadn't guessed what had happened before she had proof now.  
"Where are you going?" He asked.  
Atty smiled and bopped his nosed while quickly fixing his shirt. Before slipping from his hands and melting into to darkness.   
Farkas ran a hand through his hair and returned his attention to the ball room jumping as he saw leith standing there.   
She smirked, "well well."   
Farkas said nothing but his sheepish grin told many tales.   
"Pity she had to go, or you two could have had a really fun night."  
"Why did she have to go? What did she say."  
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies." Leith said plainly. "There will be a mark she has to take care of, it's better for us to not know any more than that."  
"Why?"  
"Plausible deniability"

Straightened and less flustered Farkas returned with Leith to the party.   
"Were did you go." Vilkas asked her.   
"To find Atty and Farkas." She said plainly   
"So where is Atty?"  
She shrugged and Farkas shook his head. "I don't know." She muttered plainly "never do. Oh look a new cheese platter."

The coronation continued with lights and string quartettes as Atty knocked on the large mansion door of her target.  
"Oh." He purred as he saw her at the door. "I must thank the dark lord that sent you too me."  
She couldn't believe how right he was. 

A single shadow crept over the plaice walls, it's feet not even making a crunch sound on the ground. Slipping un seen though landscape and into the warm bustle of the party. Hiding amongst the liquor filled guests and muffled by music.  
Dressed in black and red leather, a mask covered the bottom half of it's face but left it's piercing red eyes visible to any who dared to look.   
The assassin made a move to snatch the almost crowned king. A black dagger in her hand as she wrapped her arms about him with the blade at his throat.   
Vilkas the former Companion had other ideas. A sharp quick elbow flew back into the assailants ribs, knocking her back.   
Shouts and screams began to split the music as more assassins tried to panic the crowd.   
He turned un sheathing, the emergency dagger he had been given. Looking into the frowning red eyes, surrounded by white tattoos.   
"atty?!" He whispered. Stunned for a moment. There were no other discerning features as top to toe everything was covered in leather. But that was how they had met.   
The assassin Atty or not lunged wildly for him which he parried, lashing out in return. Cutting a long bloody trail down the right side of her face. She reeled. Falling back to join her brotherhood who leith and farkas where fighting back. Leith with her small dagger and Farkas with anything he could get his hands on.   
Quickly as they arrived the dark assailants faded back into the night. Leaving guests and royalty more than a little confused.  
"Where is she?" vilkas bellowed.  
Farkas and leith looked at each other perplexed.  
"Who?"  
"The Assassin!" Venom dripping off the title leith could sense the accusation.   
"I don't know." She stammered honestly.  
"Is she here?"  
"I don't know." She repeated  
"Did she take a contract tonight?"   
"I don't know" she finally shouted. Plausible deniability was designed to save her skin but it left atty a dark elf with out an alibi.

Screams greeted her. Guest fleeing the hall alerted her to the trouble. She padded through the halls her skirts in hand, her heart beginning to climb into her chest as thoughts of Morag Tong flitted through her mind. She was distracted, worried, dressed in something that wasn't her leathers, unarmed flustered. She rounded the corner and bumped into the steward.   
She flinched as he grabbed her arms. Grinning like she had never seen him before.   
"This is too perfect." He whistled softly and 6 of his personal guard descended on her binding her hands behind her back. Holding her at weapon point.   
Taking a vial from his person and a small blade. He rubbed the liquid on it.   
"Thanks to the healer having fantastic ears, I know what you tip you red arrows with. And judging by the red gems in the blade you gifted our king to be I'd say it was tipped with the same." He placed the tip of the blade into her right cheek and cut a slow precise line down her face, following the mark Vilkas had left on the assassin.   
"I'll have you hang. And once your gone, I'll have their heads."  
She bared her teeth pulling against her captors, as they dragged her back to the ball room. 

"Sire, your attacker." The steward announced and what was left of the party goers hushed.   
Tight lipped Atty stood, back straight and defiant in her finery.   
Farkas came forward, "Brother you can't think..." He began   
"Ask her where she was," Vilkas said slowly. "After the two of you," he paused finding a appropriate word "frolicked, in the garden. Ask her where she went."   
Attys eyes were locked with Vilkas, red, surrounded by white tattoos. Her teeth clenched. She realised what the steward had done.   
"I thought we were family." He whispered grabbing her chin turning her face so he could see the wound he gave her, festering with the poison it had been tipped with.   
"Let her hands free." Farkas protested "let her defend herself."  
The steward scoffed "defend? More like murder us all. The healer says she can speak let her speak. And we will keep her weapons in chains."   
Farkas dark brown furrowed "is it true?"  
"Of course, she is an assassin, why do you think she doesn't speak?" The steward bellowed "A child of the order her voice is saved for her mother." He turned to atty an evil glint in his eye," If you are not an assassin, if you are not THE assassin, speak! For all that holds you Mute is a vow to the dark one."   
"Please Atty," Farkas begged "tell me now and I'll believe you. Just a whisper."   
She looked at him her heart breaking to hear that he believed the stewards lies. Silently begging him to believe her.  
"You can't? You can't break a promise to a dead woman in a box? To voices in your head. Not even for me?" He shoot his head.  
"Take her away" Vilkas hissed. Seeing even his brother couldn't get through to her.   
She hung her head, her dark hair falling forward shoulder bent she didn't fight her captors.   
"She will hang for this treason." He finished.  
Farkas' eyes snapped up, "You can't. Not hang her."  
"Vilkas!" Leith snapped "Don't be an idiot. What's your proof."  
"Do you see many assassins in our midst? Do you see many dark elf's with white tattoos, and a cut on their right cheek?" He snapped "I am no idiot, I cut my attackers face, it's the same."   
"You don't think a cut can't be replicated?" Her anger rising to meet his. "And you can't just lump one elf in with another."  
"If you weren't all criminals I wouldn't have need to."   
Leith stood up like a bolt of lightning had run though her. She took a step back.  
"And one more word from you Thief, and I'll throw you in with your friend." Vilkas stormed from the room, he had been right not to trust either of them. They had played him for such a fool. Farkas he expected to fall, but he had been so careful so guarded for so long, he thought he had made sure before letting them in, Letting Leith in.   
His coronation gift to himself would be to watch his would be murderess swing from a noose. To think they had played such a long game. Saving them from the silver hand, bringing them to the island, Atty arming him with the weapon that would prove her guilt. Leith's quips and affections, helping him with the trials of court. It stung his pride most of all. Betrayal cutting his fragile ego to ribbons.

Stumbling into the cold damp cell. A guard put a boot on her back and cut her binds before retreating and slamming the heavy iron door shut.   
Atty lay on the floor, her fight left her, if Farkas didn't believe her and leith wouldn't raise her voice in defence, what hope did she have.  
The scrape of the viewing slot pulled her eyes from the floor up to the door.  
"When you and your friend found the princes and brought them here, I thought it was all over." The stewards clear clipped voice broke the silence of the cells "I thought the gods them selves had seen to throw a rock under the wheel of my plans. But here, they granted me the silent listener from the dark brother hood." He chuckled leaning against the door at his leisure.  
Mistrust and curses follow the Dunmer like a bad smell on a dung cart, and so, you gave me the means for my plan. You even left at the most convenient time and returned with enough time to allow me to incriminate you." He almost purred with the pleasure of his plan.  
"The perfection in you being blamed for the attempt, is only preceded by the fact your order and yourself will be blamed for the main event that I have scheduled for the Coronation. My only loose end is the thief, once she's taken care of. You will rot here and not be able to tell a soul."   
His laughter echoed as he slammed the slot shut leaving her with no more than the drip if condensation down the stone walls.  
Atty opened her mouth, she forced air through useless vocal chords. She screamed, a silent hissed breath of a scream.   
Fuelled by frustration, limitation and stupidity, she screamed at the night.


End file.
